Clamping hook



March 15, 1960 2,928,692

W. E. GOWAN CLAMPING HOOK Filed Nov. 5, 1956 INVENTOR. WILLARD E. GOWAN BYJM&

ATTORNEY FIG. 3

CLAMPHWG HOOK Willard E. Gowan, Arnold, Mo, assignor of one-half to Willard A. Lemmler, St. Louis, Mo.

Application November 5, 1956, Serial No. 620,372

1 Claim. (Cl. 294-82) This invention pertains to a sling hook for an ordinary hoist, an object being to provide a hook which is self adjusting to exert a clamping action on certain kinds of articles such as plates and structural shapes handled as a load on the hoist.

Another object is to provide such a hook which is self adjusting to apply more than one type of clamping action.

Further objects will appear from the following description taken .in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a clamping hook embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view from the left hand side of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 partly in section showing the different relative positions of the hook and the clevis;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view illustrating one way in which the hook may be used;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing another way in which the hook may be used;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the ordinary use of the hook.

In the accompanying drawing 1 indicates the hook generally. For the purpose of description the hook is considered as having a loop portion 2, a point 3, and an eye 4.

The hook is pivoted on a pin 5 passing through the eye 4 to a clevis indicated generally at 6. This clevis is formed with an eye 7 beyond or above the pivot 5 and sidewalls 8 extending downward on both sides of the eye 4 of the hook, and supporting the pivot pin 5. The clevis has a front apron 9 extending between the sidewalls 8 to form a rigid structure. This apron terminates at its lower edge at a point short of the point 3 of the hook, so as to leave between them a substantial clearance, as indicated at X in Fig. 3. The sidewalls 8, however, extend beyond the apron providing fingers 10, one on each side, which extend beyond the nearest face of the point 3 of the hook, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The tips of the fingers 10 are beveled as shown at B in Fig. 2, providing sharp points which get a good bite on the article clamped.

The hook may be used in the ordinary manner by attaching the hoist cable to the eye 7 and suspending the load from the hook, as indicated in -Fig. 6. The hook is movable on its pivot 5 to extreme positions shown in broken lines in Fig. 3. As the hook moves from one to the other of these positions the point 3 thereof must pass between the fingers 10.

A type of work for which this hook is well adapted is for hoisting metal sheets. One way of applying the hook to this purpose is shown in Fig. 5 in which two hooks are suspended from branches of the hoist cable. One hook 2,928,692 Patented Mar. 15, 1960 kind. In such a case the hook may be applied as shown in Fig. 4 in which the relation shown in broken lines at the right hand side of Fig. 3 is used. in this position also the weight of the sheet produces a strong clamping action between the fingers 10 and the point 30f the book, so that .the sheet may be lifted by only one edge thereof in order to turn it over.

in the examples of usage illustrated in Figs. 4 and'5 it will be observed that the clevis is positioned with the clamping fingers 10 thereof directed inwardly with respect to the throat of the hook. In such position the clamping surfaces indicated at 11, at one side edge of said fingers are presented to the load piece. With that arrangement of the clamp and clevis members a load object may be safely supported and carried by a single clamp assembly, as shown in Fig. 4.

The device may be used with advantage in certain instances with the clamping fingers 10 of the clevis directed away from the throat of the hook, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3, considering the broken line, relatively inverted representation of the hook; With such relative arrangement the clamping surfaces indicated at 12 of the clevis are presented to the work piece and act in conjunction with the inner surface 13 of the hook arm 14 to clamp the work piece.

hence can accommodate a thicker work piece.

It will be seen that this invention provides a sling hook which in addition to the ordinary usage of such a hook can be arranged to clamp the articles to be hoisted by the action of gravity on those articles.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of this invention. Parts of the invention may be used without the whole, and improvements may be added while retaining some or all of the advantages of the invention.

I claim:

A clamping sling hook comprising a substantially C-shaped hook having opposed, relatively long and short arm portions defining a normally upwardly opening C throat; an elongated, channel-sectioned clevis comprising side walls spaced apart a sufficient distance to receive is applied to'each of two opposite edges of a sheet; then as the hooks are lifted the weight of the sheet causes the fingers 10 to press the sheet downward against the point 3 of the hook, thereby applying a clamping action which causes the sheet to be firmly gripped between these elements. In this case the hook is in the general position shown by the dotted outline in the right hand side of Fig. 3.

It is often desired to turn over a metal sheet of this the long arm of said hook therebetween and an apron interconnecting opposed longitudinal front upper edges thereof, means pivotally connecting the end of said longer hook arm to and between middle portions of said side walls, said apron terminating short of the short arm of said hook, said clevis being swingable through an angle of approximately degrees relative to said hook member, said side walls having tapered end portions that pro ject longitudinally beyond said apron a distance sufficient to engage the opposite sides of said short arm portion, providing clamping surfaces on opposite sides of each of said tapered end portions, and means at the opposite end of the clevis forming an eye for the attachment of a chain or cable. 9

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 761,282 Aires May 31, 1904 1,417,378 Handy May 23, 1922 1,836,107 Bruel Dec.,15, 1931 1,956,786 Bemis May 1, 1934 2,618,504 Penn Nov. 18, 1952 2,654,629 'Renfroe Oct. 6, 1953 2,857,644 Gale Oct. 28, 1958 V FOREIGN PATENTS 104,996 Great Britain June 7, 1917 168,187 Great Britain Sept. 1, 1921 I In the latter arrangement the throat of the clamp is completely free of the apron 9 and I 

